


Race the stars, grab the moon

by wearethewitches



Series: broomsticks, moon-shaped staves and ink from a non-magical parlour [3]
Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic, Episode: s01e01-02 Selection Day, F/F, Family, Family Reunions, Flying, Gen, Magic, Magical Realism, Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Runes, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 21:24:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14197989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearethewitches/pseuds/wearethewitches
Summary: "MILDRED IS TWO!" She shouts, before dramatically lowering her voice. "Mildred is two, how can she break extremely powerful wards? That's ridiculous-""Okay, shush now, Julie," Susan says, Julie shutting up only because she knows Susan only gets one shot to explain.-Julie raises Mildred alone - but they are far from ordinary.





	Race the stars, grab the moon

"One more year," Julie mutters to herself, puffing air out of her mouth as she looks at the calendar. She grasps her wrist as she usually does, tracing the circle there without looking, knowing exactly where it is and what it signifies.

"Mummy," Mildred comes over to lean against her leg, arms clamping around her knee. "Mummy..."

"Happy birthday, pumpkin!" Julie immediately smiles, picking her daughter up and swinging her around, listening to her squeal. "Guess who's coming over today, Millie? Nana and Aunt Moe are coming over, that's who!"

"Nana!" Mildred cheers as Julie slides her onto her hip. "Nana, Moe?"

"Yes, Nana _and_ Moe," Julie walks over to the island table as the phone starts ringing, picking it up. "Hello?"

" _Julie, where's my granddaughter?_ " Ruth Hubble immediately questions. Julie rolls her eyes, putting the phone on speaker. " _Millie?_ "

"Nana!" Mildred shouts, all two years of her wriggling and grasping for the phone, putting it to her ear clumsily. "Aunt Moe?"

" _She's coming over with presents right now and I'm making a special lunch to bring over,_ " Ruth says, Julie humming at her mums generosity – it meant less work for her, after all.

"Thanks, mum," she says, going to set Mildred down on the sofa where she'd stay put while Nana talked on the phone. Half-listening to the call, Julie wipes down the kitchen benchtops, barely containing her shriek at seeing a witch on her balcony, hands clapping over her mouth.

Eyes wide, Julie looks to Mildred and back, watching the witch set her broomstick up neatly against the glass and knocking gently. Hurrying over, Julie spares Mildred a glance, but her daughter is too focused on singing along to _happy birthday_ to notice the knock – or the knockee. Julie opens the glass door and watches the witch – the very familiar witch, in fact – jump back, her red braids swinging.

"Susan?" Julie questions. "Susan, can you see me?"

"...is someone there?" Susan questions, sounding freaked out. Julie immediately reaches out, but before she can touch Susan, she finds her own hands slipping sideways, a bubble of space protecting Susan from her touch. "Artemis explained Hecate's wards to me and Merlin, this is so awkward – I feel like I'm talking to an empty room."

"Empty room?" Julie repeats, suddenly feeling quite horrified.

_Witches can't see Mildred, either?_

"Considering that the door opened on its own...well, uh," Susan shuffles slightly, playing with her cloak's edge. "Hi Julie. I'm sure it's nice to see me, hear me – the wards had a strange effect on everyone and Hecate's been determined to stop everyone from reaching out, after the duel."

"How did it end?" Julie can't help but question. "Why did Hecate never come find us? Is- is Ares alive?"

Susan continues, though, unable to hear her questions. "I can't find the Tearoom, my mum even forgot she went to your wedding – a lot of people forgot you, actually. Hecate couldn't see your marriage bracelet." Automatically, Julie grabs her wrist, looking at the faint golden line in fear. "It was only when your daughter was born that all the Hardbroom's remembered, though it still took them a bit. It took seeing Hecate again for my mum and me – we never saw her at all after that Samhain."

"What happened at Samhain?" Julie questions.

"Artemis – Hecate's sister, we talk a lot now, actually – Artemis, she said that all the wards were probably overpowered when Hecate cast them. It took a few weeks until they sunk into everyone's psyches'."

"What about the duel, Susan?" The Hubble hisses, head twisting back as she hears Ruth asking Mildred to give the phone to her mum. "Damn it-"

"The problem is that Hecate has conflicting vows, now," Susan states, wincing. "You probably don't know, but before Mordred Mothbane agreed to the duel, he made Hecate swear she wouldn't seek out her wife in an attempt to re-establish contact, regardless of the outcome. Not being allowed to seek you out was the problem though – seeking out your daughter was a way around it, a risk Hecate took, but to seek out your daughter, Hecate would have to retrace her steps to where _you_ lived-"

"Mummy, phone from Nana," Mildred holds up the phone to Julie, who takes it and puts it off speaker-phone, trying and failing to listen to Susan as she speaks hurriedly to her mother.

"No time to explain, Susan's on my balcony speaking to thin air, aka me, gotta go, bye." Julie looks to Mildred, "Go play with your toys, Millie, there's a good girl, yeah?"

"Okay," Mildred says, turning to go away to play, Julie looking back to Susan rapidly, trying to listen to what she's saying.

"-break the wards, but it's beyond me." Susan shakes her head, "Artemis and I started looking into Hecate's notes after she took a break. We had two theories about what to do, though I think, now that I'm here, it'll have to be your daughter."

"What will Millie have to do?" Julie questions, a little lost, brow furrowing as she listens.

Susan reaches under her cloak into her bag, taking out a thick book and a long cylindrical container that seemingly appears out of nowhere – and is roughly, Julie thinks, the size of a broom.

"I'm the only one who actually knows where you live, other than Hecate, so I came here today, hoping you'd be in. Hopefully, you _are_ listening, because getting distracted by your relatives or having to deal with a crisis while I blabber on would be a bit awful for you, because figuring out this plan in the first place was kind of complicated..."

Susan places the book down and the long broom-case, Julie taking that before the book, startling Susan. Opening up the container and placing it against the balcony side, a broom does indeed greet her, black and red ribbons tied into the base – ribbons covered in familiar golden handwriting. _Aramaic runes,_ Julie thinks, recognising some from Hecate's tattoos without realising where from, for a moment, putting a hand to her mouth when she remembers.

"...you're here, then," Susan coughs. "Um, do you mind listening to me carefully, now? Like, really, really, _really_ carefully? I'll give you a ten seconds before I start."

"Ten seconds?" Julie glances back at Mildred, counting out loud as she darts over to the sofa, grabbing the TV remote and putting on _CBeebies_ on low volume in case her daughter gets distracted. Returning to Susan, she puts the broom back in its case before picking up the abandoned book.

"Starting now," Susan says, sounding very nervous indeed before she breathes in, a serious expression appearing on her face. "Artemis had two theories. One was that I'd be able to see your daughter when I came here and that I could judge how the warding has been set, maybe even weaken it enough before bringing Artemis here to break it – she's got the Runes Mastery, I just have a degree. Wards and runes and enchantment are all intertwined, before you ask."

"And the second theory?" Julie mutters, paying rapt attention.

"But I can't see her, Julie and I'm sorry, because that means it's all on you," Susan says, sounding apologetic.

Julie's eyes widen. "Me?"

"Artemis theorised that if Hecate over-powered the wards enough, then they could have evolved, even disregarding how your daughter being the centre for them might change how they work." Susan starts, "Not being able to see your daughter means they _have_ changed, meaning if they get broken, your daughter has to be the one to break them. I'll give you a second."

Julie really needs that second, it turns out. She gapes, panicking. "MILDRED IS TWO!" She shouts, before dramatically lowering her voice. "Mildred is _two_ , how can she break extremely powerful wards? That's ridiculous-"

"Okay, shush now, Julie," Susan says, Julie shutting up _only_ because she knows Susan only gets one shot to explain. _I'm still panicking though,_ she thinks as Susan continues to speak. "The book is Artemis' creation – Artemis' and mine. We wrote it for you and your daughter, so you can learn the basics of all the magic you need to know for your daughter to break the wards safely. I'm so sorry, Julie, I'm just so sorry. This will mean years of work, years of basically- basically _home-schooling_ both yourself and your daughter in magic until it's done. The Code is in there, as well."

"... _fuck_ ," Julie hisses, grabbing her head.

"Until the wards are broken, you can't see Hecate," Susan says, "I won't bring her here like this. Artemis and I agree that it isn't fair – it would be torture to you both. However," she smiles a little, now and Julie doesn't feel like she should be, not after how she's grieved and gone through these years alone without her wife, "I can bring gifts, like that broom. Hecate started enchanting it the week she found out you were pregnant – she finished it on your daughters birthday. It's for her, when she's older, though Artemis says if your line really is cursed, then you might have enough residual magic in your blood that you could fly it...maybe."

"I am _not_ flying that thing," Julie mutters, but she does glance at the broom once or twice as she listens to Susan's last anecdotes – mostly happy things, like how Susan likes Artemis enough she might ask her out on a date and that Hecate was nominated for Potions Witch of the Year.

Oh and the best thing, in Julie's opinion?

That Mordred Mothbane is dead.

* * *

The worst thing about raising a very clearly magical child in the ordinary world, is that neither Hubble can bring people over to their flat.

Mildred's drawings are always moving in their frames on the walls; the broomstick Hecate made for Mildred lays against the fridge near the front door, only half-hidden behind the coat-rack; on any random evening, Susan could fly down onto their balcony and chat about whatever magical catastrophe had happened; and on any given surface, there are runes glowing with golden magic.

It had been a fun game to Mildred when she was younger, memorising all types of runes and their meanings the same way she learnt the alphabet and numbers. But as she grew and Julie set her tasks – _write a good luck charm in Venetic, invent your own spell for keeping things cold in Egyptian Meroitic cursive_ – their flat took on the properties of the things Mildred created. There's a spot on their breakfast bar that's always fresh and clean and warms up to eight-five degrees if you put a pizza on it; the living room automatically rotates through air-freshener smells every few weeks; Mildred's wall beside her bed acts like a never-ending roll of paper, her canvas that she can spin side to side – left for fresh wall, right for the things she's already written.

Julie has her own tricks, of course, not everything Mildred's doing. Their building stays in tip-top shape because of the laminated scroll Julie hid in the basement and their landlord doesn't bother them for inspections because of a bamboozlement that Julie _may_ have written on the back of their front door. Mildred charges everything, of course, activating everything with her magic unless Julie recognises that her designs are too powerful for however young she is.

 _Witches gain power as they age,_ Julie thinks, remembering Artemis' description of witching growth. There had been an entire section of that big book Susan gave her, dedicated to safe craft-practice, including what is or what is not appropriate for certain age groups. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, a lot of the magic Mildred would – will – learn at Cackle's Academy shouldn't be used before eleven years of age and definitely, Mildred shouldn't be using 'focus-less' casting before the age of thirteen.

"I think it's funny that they use the word 'focus' in the space of potions, runes and ancient chanting songs," Julie notes to Moe when her sister reads from the Book. "In the ordinary world, that would mean a wand or staff, or something."

"Isn't that wizard-stuff?" Moe in turn questions, raising her eyebrow at some passage. "Hey, did you know that according to Rule Nineteen, Paragraph Eight, there must be 'no retaliation after retransfrogification'?"

"'A witch who has been changed into an animal for the purposes of self defense, on being changed back, must admit defeat.'" Julie finishes, before the balcony door opens, Mildred rushing in with her broom, her cousin Hettie on her tail, "No running indoors, young ladies, you know the rules!"

Mildred stops, "Sorry Mum – hi, Aunt Moe!"

"Sorry, Aunt Julie," Hettie adds.

"Hey girls. How's the sky?" Moe asks, shutting the Book. Mildred grins, looking to Hettie quickly.

"Great! I think we saw another witch!"

"They were wearing a pointed hat and had a big, flapping black coat," Hettie describes, the seven year-old grinning much like her aunt in that moment.

"That sounds great, love," Julie smiles back, before it slips off her face. "Mildred, would you sit down with me after you've put the broom away?"

Mildred frowns, "Okay...am I in trouble?"

"No. This is about your other mum, Millie," Julie says quietly, watching Mildred brighten immediately.

"Really?"

"Broom away, first," Moe backs her up, looking to Hettie, "Get your stuff. Nana's expecting you tonight."

"Can't we stay?" Hettie whines, before Moe shakes her head. Julie watches the girl huff off to Mildred's room to get her bag, Mildred already having rushed to deposit her broom in its designated spot and jumped to sit on the sofa, brimming with excitement.

"When they've left, Millie," Julie adds, Mildred's buzz dropping a little. _You're so special, Mildred,_ she thinks as she says goodbye to Moe and Hettie, seeing them out the door. Before she leaves, Moe squeeze Julie's hand in support, then absconds with her quiet but enthusiastic child.

"So? My mum, _Hecate Griselda_ _Hardbroom_..." Mildred grins, waiting for Julie to speak.

Julie finds herself having trouble getting the words out, but she does in the end. "Mildred, you know that there are wards on us all, so magical people can't see us?"

"Yeah?"

 _How am I supposed to tell her about her grandfather, when the time comes?_ Julie thinks, knowing that if- _when_ Mildred and Hecate finally meet, it would be a little unfair to Hecate if Mildred went and burst with all her questions, asking about her grandparents in the plural form.

"I've raised you with all this magic," Julie starts, making up her speech as she goes along, moving to sit closer to Mildred, taking her hands. "I raised you as a witch, because _you_ need to break the wards around us, if we ever want to be with your other mum again."

She sees when Mildred understands, all eleven years of her sagging under the weight of her own expectations.

"But- but I thought I was just going to go to Cackle's Academy one day and- and meet her, there," Mildred says, forcing the words out. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I haven't seen your mum either, for longer than you've been alive, Millie," Julie says quietly, wondering what it'll be like, when she sees Hecate again. "It'll have been twelve years this August."

"That's a long time," Mildred says quietly, before she clutches Julie's hands tightly, determination visible in her eyes. "How do I do it? How do I break the wards?"

_This is your moment, Julie Hubble, don't mess it up._

Breathing in deep, Julie takes her Book from the coffee table where Moe'd left it. Opening up the last chapter – the only chapter that Mildred has never been allowed to read, Julie skips to Artemis' instructions for Mildred, when she was old enough to try.

"'Reach inside, feel your magic like in the exercises you've been taught'," Julie reads, thankful Mildred had always been so in touch with her own magic, eyes flickering to her daughter, who has already begun, eyes shut. "'Find the criss-cross of magic not your own, that feels safe and sturdy, like home and has always been there. Your mother's magic is strong, but you are her daughter. It was always meant to come apart. Find the lynch-pin, the deliberate mistake which knits all the enchantments together. Find it and remove it, then let everything unravel.'"

"I think I've found it," Mildred says, squeezing Julie's hand before a burst of gold spreads out in a circle around her. Mildred gasps and then they both watch the golden circle shake, crumbling to grey, exploding outwards and disappearing. Julie feels it as it shoots through her – like she's seeing through a clear glass, instead of foggy.

"You did it, Mildred," Julie finds herself crying, hugging her daughter tightly. "You _did_ it."

"I did it!" Mildred exclaims, happy as Julie is.

* * *

Then, a young witch crash-lands into their balcony.

Julie and Mildred get to their feet immediately, Mildred running forwards and staring at the witch as she stands up, squinting at them both.

"Sorry, I lost my glasses – couldn't see where I was going," she apologises immediately.

"Are you alright, love?" Julie questions, glancing around for any glasses on their balcony and not finding any, but definitely noticing the sudden up-tick in flyers in the sky.

"I'm fine- well, sort of," the witch looks around, then over their balcony wall to the ground. "I won't be able to get to the entrance exam if I can't find my glasses."

"Do you have spares at home?" Julie questions, even as Mildred asks her own question.

"Entrance exam? For where?"

"Cackle's Academy," she answers, looking to Julie, "I do, but I've no way to know where I'm going to _get_ home."

"Oh no," Julie frowns, concerned for her. Crossing her arms – still feeling a little overwhelmed from Mildred breaking the wards – she looks at her broomstick. "At least your broom is fine."

Mildred immediately brightens, turning to her, "Mum – _Cackle's._ We can go _right now._ "

"We can, can't we?" Julie blinks, putting a hand over her mouth. "You could even try the entrance exam..."

"I'll get my broom! You can fly with- uh..." Mildred's smile drops as she looks to the other young witch, who startles.

"Oh, apologies!" She raises a hand to her forehead, bowing slowly and deeply – which all looks a bit weird and a little wrong, if you asked Julie. "Well met. I'm Maud Spellbody."

"Mildred," Mildred introduces, pausing for a moment before putting a hand to her own forehead, bowing only a little bit rather than the full way like Maud did. "Well met. This is my mum."

"Hi, Maud," Julie waves a little, "I'm Julie. Would you like some help getting to Cackle's?"

"Please," Maud says, clearly relieved, but still squinting.

"Alright," Julie says, looking at herself and abruptly realising that she's still in her pyjamas from this morning. "Let us get changed into more suitable clothes, then we can head off, sharpish."

"I'm fine!" Mildred says, before Julie raises her eyebrow at her.

"You're in muddy dungarees and the knit-jumper I made you. Your mum's going to be there – you might as well make a pretty picture."

If anything, that seems to make Mildred more excited and she runs in past Julie to her room, who looks to Maud rather than telling her off for running.

"Do you want to come inside for a moment? You can sit down and catch your breath on the sofa."

"Thank-you," Maud sets her broomstick up where Susan usually does, sticks facing up, stepping inside their flat and immediately stopping. "Woah...that's a lot of magic. How do you hide it from non-magical people?"

"More magic," Julie replies, shutting the balcony door. "I'll just be a minute. Help yourself to the fruit bowl, if you'd like a snack."

"Oh, no thanks," Maud pats her belly, "I had lunch before I flew off."

Julie waits till Maud is sat down before going to her room, mentally prepared. _Thank god I did laundry yesterday, all my_ _favourite_ _stuff is here._ She undresses, picking out her favourite flowery shirt with the wide, elbow-length sleeves and her best pair of jeans, taking a minute to brush the mud off her newest pair of trainers before pulling on Hecate's black pea-coat – the one she'd left behind all those years ago, with all her other belongings that Julie still has in the back of her wardrobe, that Mildred played dress-up in when she was little.

Then, nervous, she looks in the mirror, running her hair through with a brush before pulling it back into a pony-tail, wondering if Hecate would care about all her new wrinkles. _Wrinkles, my stupid face...all she should care about is Mildred,_ Julie thinks for a moment, before frowning at herself and putting on the bare minimum of make-up. _This is my wife I'm talking about. Just because I haven't seen her in twelve years doesn't mean she's not my wife anymore._

"I have the bracelet to prove it," Julie mutters confidently, tracing it purposefully before exiting her room, finding Mildred talking to Maud on the sofa wearing black jeans, her Converse, a red Elmo t-shirt and her favourite yellow hoodie, broom half-way across her lap. "Jacket," she reminds her daughter, who just zips up her jumper instead with a cheeky grin. It's then that Julie notices she's changed her braid, French plait turned into the braided bun Julie taught her, so she could look like Hecate.

 _They really look so much alike,_ she thinks, smiling to herself.

"How are we flying?" Maud questions as they all go out onto the balcony.

"Mildred will go up on her own – she's been flying since she was five, so she's had lots of practice," Julie says, holding Maud out of the way as Mildred makes her broom hover, copying what Susan did every time she touched down and lifted off.

"And you're with me?" Maud questions, confused.

"You can't see, so I'm driving," Julie says in her _no ifs, ands or buts_ voice. Maud looks a bit put-out, but agrees, waiting until Mildred is hovering just beyond the balcony on her broom before setting them both up. Julie inwardly hopes Maud doesn't realise Julie isn't a witch before they arrive as she sits front-seat – something she hasn't done with Mildred in something like two years.

"Okay, up we go," Julie taps the handle thrice, blowing out a puff of air as they rise up. "To Cackle's?"

"I'll race you!" Mildred squeals, before she zooms off, changing position mid-air the way Julie _hates_ , going into sports mode, legs wrapped around her twig-tails.

"How is she going so fast?" Maud asks, awe clear as Julie guides them towards the mountain – to a castle that she's never seen, except in Mildred's drawings.

"The real question is how she thinks she's going to get away with it, without being grounded," Julie replies under her breath, increasing their speed. Maud clutches to her as they draw somewhat level with Mildred, who had obviously slowed down when she saw how far behind they were.

"No more sleepovers with Hettie this summer!" Julie calls, seeing Mildred groan, before adjusting mid-flight, slowly, nearly slipping as she does – which is the _real_ reason why Julie doesn't like her going into sports mode. Mildred can never go back to sitting properly without some kind of over-balancing or wobble. Julie just feels happy that one of Hecate's rune-ribbons in the twigs is designed to keep the drivers' limbs as close to the broom as possible, without being invasive.

Their arrival at Cackle's, however, fuels Julie's nerves again – though they're mixed over the Hecate issue and the Cackle's issue, the Cackle's issue being that Mildred's name wouldn't be down, not with the wards messing things up. Dismounting on the green, Julie sees a line of faculty and immediately, sort of _hides_ Mildred with her body.

"...Mum, what are you doing?"

"Pretending I'm wishing you good luck on the entrance exam," Julie replies, glancing at Maud, who still squints around because of her lack of glasses. _Damn it, I have to speak to someone about that – it's the right thing to do. Maybe she'll be Mildred's friend this year, if they both get in._

"You're acting strange," Maud notes, despite having known her for half an hour, tops.

"She has reason to," Mildred admits, taking Julie's hand and squaring her shoulders. "She's right over there, isn't she?"

"...maybe," Julie grimaces, "I didn't check." Though, frankly, she recalls from her brief glance that there was one Amazonian-tall witch, all in black. _You're a coward, Julie Hubble._

"What's going on?" Maud questions, obviously suspicious and confused.

"We've been separated from my other mum my entire life, to keep us safe," Mildred answers. "It's complicated, but she's here – we just have to be brave enough to go meet her."

"Oh, that's awful- amazing, I mean. Awful, but amazing," Maud grins, Mildred grinning right back at her. Julie's lip twitches, _oh yeah, best of friends, these two._

Steeling herself, Julie twists around, looking at the line of faculty witches. In the middle she can see Ada Cackle. _She officiated our wedding,_ she remembers, the other older woman at her side another member of the guest party – _Miss Bat, wasn't it? –_ not recognising the woman in black and turquoise on her left – but most definitely, most happily, recognising her wife.

Hecate stands there, dressed in black as per usual, sleeves down to her wrists and her hair tied the same way Mildred's is. There's a clipboard in her arms and she's watching a young witch with her bright blonde hair in a ponytail descend on her broomstick, ticking her off with an impressed face.

"Mum, I'm nervous," Mildred says and Julie tears her eyes away from Hecate to look at her daughter – who's still grinning wildly. "I'm good, but I'm nervous."

"So am I," Julie shares, squeezing her hand and glancing at Maud, who must not be completely blind, because she's staying at Mildred's side pretty well. Coming up behind a crowd of people in various colours, Julie stalls Mildred for a moment, watching the conversation from a distance.

"Two Hallow's in one school," Hecate says, looking pleased, "You have a lot to live up to."

"I'll do my best," the younger of the Hallow's says, glancing at who might have been her older sister, right before Maud stumbles forwards.

"Well met, Miss Cackle, Miss Hardbroom," she says, hand to her forehead, bowing a little better this time.

"Well met," Miss Cackle smiles at her, "Who might you be?"

"Maud Spellbody."

"I remember your mother," Hecate says, before finally catching sight of Julie. She stops, staring blankly for a moment and Julie can't help but grin.

"Cat got your tongue, Teya?" Julie asks, not meaning to speak but doing it anyway. Maud and the two Hallow's twist, Ada gasping at the sight of her.

"Julie Hubble!" She looks to Mildred, "And this must be..."

Mildred grins, bowing with her hand to her forehead. "Well met, Miss Cackle." She looks to Hecate, who seems speechless. "Hi Mum!"

Julie can't help the little snort of laughter, hand rising to her mouth, "You had to, you really had to..."

" _Mum?_ " The younger Hallow copies, looking at Mildred as if she were insane. "You're a _Hardbroom_ _?_ "

"Julie and Mildred Hardbroom, that's us," Julie replies, giving the girl an unimpressed look. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ethel Hallow," she says.

"Well met then, Ethel Hallow," Julie greets, looking to Miss Cackle as Maud's desperate squinting, head whipping back and forth between Mildred and Hecate, becomes too much to bear. "Miss Cackle, Maud here had an incident while flying here – she's lost her glasses."

"Oh dear," Ada looks to Maud, "Are you alright dear?"

"A word, if you would, Julie...Mildred," Hecate says, sounding startled and unbalanced – then, they aren't on the green and instead, they're in a classroom full of potions ingredients and cauldrons. Julie immediately looks to Mildred, who wobbles a bit, before stumbling to the nearest – and quite convenient – rubbish bin, dropping her broom on the ground.

"Oh," Julie grimaces, rubbing Mildred's back as she upheaves the contents of her stomach. "Well, there went your lunch."

"What was that?" Mildred questions, wiping her mouth with a tissue from her pocket.

"...a transference spell," Hecate answers. Julie looks at her wife, watching her gaze swing slowly from Mildred to Julie and back. "You beat the wards."

"Mildred picked them apart, didn't you, love?" Julie looks to Mildred, who nods, looking up at Hecate in what Julie immediately recognises as waiting for judgement. Hecate doesn't disappoint, her eyes widening in awed surprise.

" _You?_ How did you do it?"

"The lynchpin, like Aunt Artemis' Book said," Mildred replies eagerly, smiling again. "And it worked and we're here in Cackle's and _you!_ You're in front of me, you- you're _right here!_ "

"I am," Hecate replies, voice breaking slightly, eyes shining. "I didn't expect it, but I am. You're here. You're _both_ -" she looks to Julie, heart splayed all over her face "-with me."

Mildred dives forwards to hug her, Hecate eagerly accepting the embrace as Mildred's arms wrap around her neck. Julie watches on, tears pricking her eyes. She can't stop herself from joining them both as Hecate starts to cry, sobbing – Mildred soon picking up the same actions as the emotions get too much. Touching Hecate's arm is nothing to her and then it's everything.

Basically, everyone cries and they somehow end up in a three-way hug with Hecate in the middle.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Hecate says, hiccouphing her way through her words, trembling as she places her hand on Mildred's face, "or you at _all_."

"We can be together," Mildred replies, hiccoughing _exactly_ like Hecate. Julie clings to Hecate, even as Hecate lays a kiss on her forehead. "I did my hair like yours on purpose."

"I saw that," Hecate smiles, before it fades and she reluctantly detangles on of her arms so as to awkwardly look at her watch – her family watch, the same one that her mother, Constance Hardbroom, gave her the day they got married in the eyes of magic. "You're going to miss the tour, Mildred."

"I want to stay with you, though," Mildred says.

"If you want to go to Cackle's and live in the same castle as me for the majority of the year, you'll go on the tour – trust me, you will need it," Hecate says, before continuing hesitantly. "I know we've only just met, properly, but this is important. We will see each other again very soon. I swear it."

"...okay," Mildred says, wiping her face. "I love you."

An almost pained expression flits across Hecate's face before she gives a trembling smile, "And I you, Mildred, so very, very much." When Mildred stops hugging her, she transfers her away – presumably to join the tour. It leaves them alone together and Julie becomes intimately aware that she's holding Hecate the same way she would have eleven and a half years ago. _She could have moved on,_ Julie thinks with a certain degree of betrayal.

"Sorry," she mutters, going to let go but not expecting Hecate to grab her, hand snaking up to cup her cheek. Lips press against hers and it's as if they're in Julie's apartment again. Pushing Hecate up against the nearby desk, Julie pressing into every line and curve of her, not expecting the gentle cough that has Hecate's hand slipping sideways to knock over a glass jar of something green.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Ada chuckles. Flushing, Julie steps back from Hecate, looking to the spilled substance on the floor, which Hecate vanishes a moment later. "Though, it seems as if I may be."

"Too many people have attempted to get off against my desk with their partners on dares," Hecate says bluntly, startling Julie. "I won't be a hypocrite."

"Yes, that is a common upper-year tradition, isn't it?" Ada shakes her head, looking to a still-startled Julie, stepping forwards to take her hands. "It is _so_ good to have you back, Julie. I remember that Beltane as if it were yesterday – and young Mildred seems to be a delight."

"She's brilliant, you should see her on a broom with her cousin, they get up to all sorts of mischief," Julie says, looking to Hecate. "Moe had a kid, would you believe it? Just as magical as Mildred is, too."

"Moe had a _child?_ " Hecate blinks, disbelieving. "A magical child, at that?"

"Henrietta Hubble, Hettie for short," Julie confirms. "She'll be sad that Mildred will be off to school with her broom."

"Yes, her broom..." Ada leans down, picking up the flying device, inspecting the tail-ribbons. At Hecate's wide eyes, Julie guesses she hadn't noticed. "Your work, Hecate?"

"I- I was told it was stolen," Hecate admits, looking to Julie. "How did Mildred get it?"

"Susan knows where I live – she dropped it off when Mildred was two, after the balcony door opened without there being anybody inside, supposedly. Gave me her and Artemis' Book, as well. Mildred's had some pre-Cackle's education in magic, I suppose I should say."

Hecate and Ada share a look. "What kind of education?" Hecate questions, sounding wary.

"The Book is on my sofa – the opposite wall it was, way back when," Julie offers, watching Hecate summon it to hand, she and Ada flipping through it before turning to the index page for a more comprehensive list of things Mildred knows. "The only stuff Mildred hasn't read are your notes on your warding," Julie adds, "which are at the back."

Hecate immediately flips to them, frowning darkly. "I _had_ wondered where those had gone."

"Well, they are safe, at the very least," Ada says, before looking to Julie, "Would you mind at all if I borrowed this? If Mildred passes todays entrance exam, it would be beneficial to have some way to ascertain what material she has been working with all her life, compared to the usual magical schooling of a young witch."

Old doubts flare as Ada speaks, Julie giving a nervous chuckle, smiling. "Sure. Go ahead. I'd like it back though, for my niece, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Ada tucks the Book under her arm, glancing to Hecate. "Feel free to reunite with Julie however appropriate you feel the situation demands, though I would still appreciate your help with Selection Day."

"I wouldn't let you down like that," Hecate says, gaining a small smile from Ada before the old witch offers Julie a short nod, transferring away – leaving them alone, once again.

"Mildred will do fine, she's brilliant, just like you," Julie offers. Hecate's lip twitches, before she steps closer to Julie again, fingers brushing her wrists. "Planning to ravish me like an upper-year, Hecate?"

"No, there wouldn't be enough time for me to show my appreciation for your return into my life," Hecate pauses, swallowing. "Do we pick up where we left off? Do we start over?"

"There's no way to do either of those things," Julie says, understanding where she's coming from. "Mildred only broke the wards an hour ago, or something like that. I'm still processing."

"You always did need more time to think things through," Hecate notes, fond and wistful. "I still love you, after all these years."

"I still love you, too," Julie admits. "It's hard to let go of your wife when the only reason you don't see her is because she sacrificed herself to keep your family safe."

"Wife," Hecate repeats in a whisper.

"Yeah, _wifey_ ," Julie grins. "I never stopped thinking of you as my wife, Hecate, never. You were my wife first."

Hecate's joy dims slightly, "I missed everything about Mildred growing up."

"She loves you so much," Julie immediately says, "or at least, the idea of you. I want you to get to know each other so badly, Hecate. Mildred and you are so alike."

"She's everything I imagined and more," Hecate confesses. "My hair. Your smile – but she's got personality, she- she called me _mum_ in front of people, the first time we met. She's so confident and brave-"

"Don't let her hear you say that, she'll get a big head," Julie reaches up to wipe a stray tear from the corner of her eye, leaning to kiss her gently. Hecate reciprocates without question and Julie kisses her, just...kisses her.

"-and this is the potions classroom," the door opens and for the second time, they're interrupted. Julie glances over to where the older Hallow girl stares, wide-eyed, copied by most of her group. Julie can see Mildred with Maud, near the front, looking at them in horror.

It makes Julie grin.

"Hey Millie, nice classroom you got here – even nicer teacher."

" _Mum_ ," Mildred complains, appalled as Julie winks at her, laughing. Hecate clears her throat, looking anywhere but the students and Julie, obviously just as embarrassed.

"It doesn't make sense," Ethel Hallow says to herself, but not quiet enough for Julie – or Hecate, it seems, because she actually looks at the girl, eyebrow raised.

"Ethel Hallow...what doesn't make sense about me kissing my wife, I wonder?"

Ethel flushes, correcting herself. "Nothing, Miss Hardbroom..." Her forehead creases, "Mrs Hardbroom?"

"Miss Hardbroom is fine," Hecate glances at Julie, who shrugs.

"I'm still Doctor Hubble to most of my former-colleagues."

Hecate tilts her chin in wordless contentment and Julie is amazed that she can still understand that – understand Hecate, eleven years later.

"Uh...alright, moving on," Older-Hallow herds the girls out of the lab, shutting the door behind them.

"They'll be doing their written test, soon," Hecate says, trailing off.

"You're needed, I get it," Julie purses her lips, "I didn't really think this through, did I? Is there somewhere I can just hang around, until you're available or Mildred's done?"

Hecate pauses, before they transfer to a brightly-lit room with high ceilings, hundreds of books stacking shelves. Julie spins slowly, wowed.

"Is it to your liking?"

"Definitely," Julie says. _I haven't been in an academic library in years._ She looks back to Hecate. "Is that you going, then, leaving me to read my way through Cackle's curriculum?"

"Not _quite_ yet, Julie," Hecate reaches forwards, taking her hand and kissing it gently. Julie steps closer, feeling the intimacy of the moment. "Tonight, may I join you and Mildred for dinner?"

"Any time you like, love," Julie replies lowly, "any time you like. The flat was your home too, for a while. It can be that again, if you want it to be." Julie belatedly recalls the changes, "Though, it's a bit more magic than before."

"However could that be?"

Julie smiles, "Well, you'll have to come to dinner and see, won't you?"


End file.
